Tire-chain-connecting device



W. LUMATAINEN.

TIRE CHAIN CONNECTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26. 1921.

PatentedSept. 6, 1921.v

away.

UNITED, STA

TEs'PAT ENT. OFFICE.

IWILLIAM LU'MATAINEN, or ALBION, PE NSYLVANIA. 7

7 State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tire- Chain-Conhecting Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing' had to the accompanying drawings,

forming part of this specification.

l11S inventlon relates to connecting devices and especially to the lever type of connecting devices for securing the ends of the tire chains used on automobile tires.

An object of the present invention is to provide a connecting device of a construction that is both simple and low in cost of manufacture but" that is, nevertheless, eflicient in operation. V

A further object is to provide a connecting device of the lever type that can easily be opened and closed and, when closed, will securely connect the ends of the tire chain.

Inits subordinate features the invention consists'in certain details and combinations of parts, all of which will be first described, and then pointed out in the appended claims. i

In the accompanying drawings, V

Figure lis an elevation of the connecting device with the keeper in its opened position, a portion of the guard being broken Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the keeper closed. i s

Fig. 4 is an elevation with the keeper in its closed position and the guard plate removed; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the chain link post taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. l.

The connecting device may be made of ratherstifl sheet metal or other suitable metal about three sixteenths of an. inch thick, more or less. As shown in the drawingsthe device comprises an elongated, fiat connector plate 10 to which is pivoted a keeper 11, composed of a relatively long strip 12 of resilient sheet metal and another shorter strip of heavier metal having a recess 13 therein and a laterally projecting post 14 mounted thereon. Preferably the keeper 11 is composed of two pieces as described with post 1%} formed integral there- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 26, 1921.-

' with,

that will' presently appear.

, that the latter ment of the keeper,

rmn-onarN-coNNnc'riNe DEVICE;

Serial No. 464,491. r

although said keeper may, if desired, be formed of a single piece ofmaterial it only being necessar 1 that the freeend. portion ofthe keeper be resilient for a purpose Spaced from connector plate 10 and mounted on laterally projecting cross bars or pins 15,16 secured to saidconnector plate adjacent the opposite ends of the latter, is a guard plate 17, the connector plate :and guard plate practically forming the sides of the device. referably the guard plate 17 is also made of rather heavy sheet metal similar to plate 10.

Keeper 11, when-closed is'adapted to lie between the connector plate 10 and guard plate 17 as shown in F igs.v 3iand 4z, but is adapted to be opened to the position shown.

in Figs. 1 and2 for securing a link of the free end of the side chain on the lateral post 14. r V i A link 18 at one end of the side chain is permanently attached to the cross bar or pin 15 at the end of connector platev 1O opposite that to=which the keeper is pivoted and in applying the chainto the tire the keeper is thrown to its open position and one of the links 19 of the free end of the chain is placed around the post 14. Keeper 11 is then turned on itspivot to its closed,

position, i. 6., between the connector and Patented Sept. 6, 1921i guard plates until the end wall 20 of recess I 18 comes in contact with the cross pin 16, said cross pin 16 being so positioned with respect to the pivotal point of the keeper can be turned on its pivot pin until it has passed below i This practically prevents the keeper being pulled back to open position by the chain which has, of course, been placed under some tension by the closing of the keeper and the cross. pin 16 limits the closing movebut to insure against the keeper 11 being pulled back it is adaptedto be locked in its closed position by a locking stud 21 preferably 7 of connector plate 10. The face of stud 21 is beveled, the edge of the stud nearest the keeper as the latter is closed lying almost flush with the surface its pivotal center.

of the connector plate and its opposite ed e projects a considerable distance from the stud 21 to engage the beveled end face, and

not the side face, of said stud. The end portion of the keeper, as before mentioned being resilient will readily ride over the stud and immediately after it passes beyond the edge of the stud it will snap down behind said stud and be securely held against being opened by the tensioned side chain. When it is desired to open the keeper it is only necessary toinsert any instrument such as a screw driver, or even a pencil or small stick, between'the connector plate and resilient end of the keeper and raise said end a sufficient distance to permit it to pass stud 21:: i

To avoid any possibility of the link 19 of the free end of the chain coming off post 14 during the closing movement of keeper 11, the outer end of the post is headed up to form a small flange 23 extending about half way around said post, as shown in Figs.

- 1'1 and 5.

Post 14; projects from keeper 11 a distance equal to that between connector plate 10 and guard plate 17, the outer post making a close fit with the guard plate and when the keeper is moved to its closed position said guard plate 17 will absolutely insure the link 19 being retained on the post.

hat I claim is:

1. In a tire chain connecting device, the combination of a connector, a guard carried by the connector, a keeper pivotally mounted on the connector, and a laterally projecting post for a link of the freeend of the chain carried by thekeeper and adapted to be moved between theconnector and guard whereby lateral displacement of the chain link from the post is prevented.

. by the connector, a keeper pivotally mounted on the connector and a laterally projecting 2. In a tire chain connecting device, the comblnation of a connector, a guard carried post for a link of the free end of the chain carried by thekeeper and adapted to be moved between the connector and guard to a position beyond the pivotal centerof the keeper when closed, and means for limitlng the closing movement of the keeper.

3. In a tlre chain connecting device, the

combination of a connector, a guard carried by the "connector, mounted on the connector and a laterally projecting post for a link of the free end of the chain carriedby the keeper and end face of the 7 prevent a keeper pivotally and guard to a position beyond the pivotal center of the keeper when closed, means for limiting the closing movement of the keeper, and means for releasably locking the keeper in closed position.

a. In' a tire chain connecting device, the combination of-aconnect0r plate, a guard plate spaced laterally from the connector plate, rigid cross pieces connecting said plates and one of said cross pieoesbeing adapted to have one end of the chain secured thereto, and a keeper pivoted to the connector plate adapted to be moved between-the plates when closed, the closing movement of the keeper being limited by the other rigid cross piece.

5. In a tire chain connecting device, the combination of a connector carried by the connector p ate, a keeper pivoted on the connector plate and movable between said plate and guard, a post carried by the keeper, and means and guard.

6. In a tire chain connecting-device, the

combination of a connector plate, a guard plate carried by the connector plate, a laterlate, a guard for locking the. keeper and post between the connector plate locked between the plates, and a post for a link of the free end of the chain carried by the keep er.

7. In a tire chain connecting device, the;

combination of a connector, a guard spaced from the connector, a pivotally ;mounted keeper adapted to be moved between the connector and guard, a post for a link of the free end of the chain carried by the keeper,

the connector and plate.

8. In a tire chain connecting device, the combination of a connector, a guard spaced from the. connector, a pivotally mounted .100 and means for locking the keeper between keeper adapted to be moved between the Y connector and guard, a post for a link of the free end of the chain carried by the keeper, said post having an offset end portion to displacement of the, ,link during closing movement, and means for locking the keeper between the'connector and plate.

WILLIAM LUMATAINEN. 

